


of peach gardens and oranges

by shatteredstars



Category: The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Childhood Friends, Fluff, Gen, Growing Up Together, Jingyi is chaotic as ever, Kiddo Lan Duo fight a fierce corpse and more, Please protect them, Sizhui is a Perfect Lan, The Friendship of our New Jades of Lan, Title will make sense eventually, precious children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 12:45:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17121617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shatteredstars/pseuds/shatteredstars
Summary: Jingyi looks at Lan Yuan again, and decides he really doesn’t give a shit about the warnings to stay away from the boy.Or: The tale of how two boys become fast friends, almost-parent-and-child(??) and then comrades in battle. Growing up in the Cloud Recesses can be difficult, especially with four thousand rules and stubborn old Lan Qiren for a teacher. But as long as Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui have each other, nothing is too difficult.





	of peach gardens and oranges

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Об апельсинах и персиковых садах](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19117009) by [Fan_Feini](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fan_Feini/pseuds/Fan_Feini)



> Sizhui is referred to as Lan Yuan in this, because all of this takes place before he would have received his courtesy name.
> 
> Jingyi... is Jingyi. Because he doesn't have any other name in canon. I'm still sad about it.

The Gusu Lan Sect has its four thousand official rules, then there are the ones not carved in stone. 

_Stay away from Lan Yuan._

When Lan Jingyi starts school, these are the words his parents tell him.

The Lan Yuan rule might as well have been carved on the wall, because it’s not just Jingyi avoiding the kid. Lan Yuan had arrived the earliest for class on the first day, and the seats around him had remained empty until the last of the students had no choice but to take them. It also doesn’t help that Lan Yuan is painfully and excruciatingly shy, hiding behind his textbook whenever they have breaks and waiting for the other students to leave before doing so.

At some point, some of the students took to messing around with Lan Yuan. “Accidentally” spilling ink on his books, stepping on his robes so he tripped, throwing things at him in class. It never got too out of hand because they were all afraid of punishment, but it was enough to make Lan Yuan withdraw even more into himself.

Jingyi tries but can’t see what is wrong with the kid. Bashfulness aside, Lan Yuan seemed perfectly fine. He didn’t bully anyone, wasn’t stuck-up despite having the best grades in class, and was probably physically incapable of stirring up trouble. But Jingyi also hadn’t found any particular reason to interact with the boy and so had left him alone as well. After all, his parents must have a reason in warning him stay away from the other boy, even if they don’t tell him why. And as a good son he should listen and obey their words.

Except Jingyi has never really been good at that sort of thing. 

It was one of the days in the beginning of the summer of their second school year. Their martial arts instructor had rushed out in the middle of the lesson because there was an emergency at the nearby town. That had left forty adrenaline-pumped children with practice weapons and without a supervising adult. In other words, a sure recipe for disaster.

“Let’s continue our practice in Teacher’s absence!” One the boys says. “Why don’t we appoint someone as a fierce corpse, and the rest of us can try to attack him. It’ll be like catch, but with the swords.”

“Good idea!” Another boy, one of Lan Yuan’s most frequent bullies, answers. “Lan Yuan, you’ll be it!”

All eyes turn to the boy, who has gone paler than the robes on his body. The sword gripped in his hand trembles.

At that time, it’s just one of the many things Jingyi’s motor mouth blurts out on the spur of the moment. When he looks back years later, he’s going to realise that it was one of the best decisions he’s ever made in his life. 

“Hey! If you’re going to suggest something like that, shouldn’t you go first?” He shouts back, stepping in front of Lan Yuan. He’d never really taken a side in the issue with Lan Yuan, opting to stay out of it as far as possible. But if anyone, even Lan Yuan, is going to get beaten up by thirty-eight other kids, he’s sure as hell not going to stay out of it.

“Wah, Lan Jingyi, didn’t know you were friends with Lan Yuan.”

“Are you on his side now?”

“Maybe both of you should be ‘It’.”

Jingyi winces, but holds his ground.  
  
“Jingyi’s not wrong.” Another one of the boys pipes up, moving to stand with them.

“Yeah! Don’t take it so far.”

“If you want to get in trouble, don’t drag the rest of us into it with you.”

A few of the boys start to speak out against the bully, moving to stand between him and poor Lan Yuan. Jingyi doesn’t know if it’s because they’re really worried about Lan Yuan, or if they’re just scared of the possible consequences. It doesn’t matter, as long as Lan Yuan doesn’t get beaten to a pulp alone.

In the end, the bully turns away with his gang of friends. Seeing that the disaster had been averted, the boys who had temporarily taken up Lan Yuan’s side start to disperse as well.

“Jingyi, let’s go play!” They call out to him.

“Coming!” He answers, then turns around. “Are you okay?”

Lan Yuan presses his lips together and nods. “Thank you. For helping me.”

It’s the first words he’s ever heard Lan Yuan say. The boy’s voice is soft, as timid as he himself looks. Even though the ordeal is over, Lan Yuan is still trembling, not daring to meet Jingyi in the eyes.

Jingyi looks at Lan Yuan again, and decides he really doesn’t give a shit about the warnings to stay away from the boy.

“Hi!” He says loudly, extending a hand to the boy “My name is Lan Jingyi. You’re Lan Yuan, right? Won’t you play with us today?” 

Lan Yuan glances at him warily, then at the boys waiting behind. There’s no mistaking the fear and distrust in his eyes.

“He can play with us, right?” Jingyi prompts his friends.

“Yeah, join us.” One of the other boys says after a little bit of hesitance.

“I don’t see why not.”  
  
“Come with us.”

Lan Yuan looks at Jingyi’s hand again.

“Come on, Lan Yuan. My arm is getting tired.” Jingyi whines with what he hopes is a friendly smile.

Lan Yuan takes it.

The boy is shy at first, staying out of the way as much as possible in their games. But they soon discover that he’s as good at running as he is in his studies and suddenly everyone wants Lan Yuan on their team.

And after an afternoon of fun and games, Lan Yuan and Lan Jingyi become practically inseparable.  
  


* * *

  
Something is wrong with Jingyi.

He just doesn’t know what it is. It’s squatting at the back of his mind like a spider in his room, a strange, itchy feeling that won’t go away. It keeps him company as he sits through his classes, eats his meals, even as he’s cultivating. He gets snapped at by Lan Qiren three times to _sit still_ before he is finally sent outside the classroom during afternoon lessons to stand with his textbook _._

 _I can’t help it_ , Jingyi thinks indignantly, _I really really really feel weird._

He’s slumped against the wall, book spread open on his face to block out the afternoon sunlight when the door opens and his teacher walks out. He realises within the next five seconds that he might have been hearing someone hissing at him from within and that someone might have been Lan Yuan, who sits in front of the windows at the back of the classroom.

It’s only because he uses every method short of wailing like a newborn that he gets off with an ear-lashing instead of a trip to Library Pavilion to copy all of the sect rules.

The sun is going down by the time Lan Qiren lets him go. Jingyi walks as fast as he can without outright running. He’s not a fool and he’s not going to be there when Lan Qiren decides that he hasn’t nagged enough. It’s because Jingyi is going as fast as he is that he turns the corner and runs straight into someone.

“Oww…”

“Is that you, Jingyi?” A voice asks, warm and gentle like jade. The person he’d bumped into stabilises him with a hand on his shoulder, then kneels down to check on him. “Are you alright?”

“Zewu-jun!” He greets with a hasty bow. “I’m sorry I bumped into you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” His sect leader smiles and Jingyi relaxes. He’s always liked Lan Xichen. Despite the amount of responsibilities that must come with being sect leader, the elder of the Twin Jades of Lan would still take time to check on the younger disciples every now and then. And he always had a good word for everyone, even someone like Lan Jingyi. On the other hand, Jingyi isn’t even sure Hanguang-jun knows his name. “Did you just come out from the classroom? Was Uncle scolding you again?”

Jingyi presses his lips together.

“Jingyi,” Lan Xichen says, not unkindly, “it is unbecoming of a Lan disciple to ignore his elders when they are speaking to him.”

“I felt weird.” He finally spits out.

“Weird?” Lan Xichen echoes, immediately pressing a cool hand to his forehead.

“Yeah!” Once the confession gets out, he can’t stop his mouth from running. “You know, my head felt really strange. Like there was something heavy pressing down on it. I tried to focus on the lesson, but it was really annoying and I couldn’t make it go away. Am I sick?”

He thinks the sect leader hides a laugh. Or he’s really just coughing. “It seems like Jingyi had something weighing on his mind today.”

“There was nothing on my head though.”

“No, not that way.” Lan Xichen says. “It means that there’s something bothering you. It could be something that someone said to you, or something they did, or even a thought you had. Do you know what it is?”

He scrunches up his nose and thinks. What had happened today? He’d woken up on time, got ready, ate breakfast. Then his parents had brought him to class. They’d run into Lan Yuan on the way and walked together. It was the first time his parents and Lan Yuan had met each other properly. Then he’d thought that—

“Oh!” He exclaims. “I know what it is!”

Jingyi has already taken a few steps in the other direction before it clicks that he’s running off in the presence of a very important someone. He turns and asks carefully. “Can I be excused? To go… un-weigh my mind?”

Lan Xichen laughs this time. “Yes, go un-weigh your mind. Just be back on time for dinner. I think you’ve broken enough rules today.”

“Thank you, Zewu-jun! I’ll see you around!”

This time, Jingyi doesn’t bother to speed-walk. He takes off down the corridor and is gone in the blink of an eye.

“What a handful.” Lan Qiren sighs, exiting the gate leading to the classroom blocks.

Lan Xichen chuckles softly as he gets back to his feet. “Lan Jingyi is a good child. His eyes are unclouded and his heart in the right place. Perhaps at the wrong times, but our world can do with more cultivators like him.”

Lan Qiren shakes his head.

As expected, Lan Yuan is in Library Pavilion, doing even more studying.

“Lan Yuan!” Jingyi bursts through the doorway with a shout and is immediately shushed.

“Keep it down.” Lan Yuan warns. “Noise is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses. You’re lucky Hanguang-jun just left for a night-hunt.”  
  
Jingyi shudders at the thought that he almost broke a rule, not even in front of Lan Qiren, but Lan Wangji, who is in charge of punishments in the sect. But his fear is gone just as quickly when he drops down in front of the table his friend is using.

“Are you okay?” Lan Yuan asks, tilting his head. “You seem really happy for someone that just got yelled at.”

“No, my ears hurt, Teacher Lan is soooo long-winded, but I mean, yes, I am because Zewu-jun explained what was wrong with me but anyway!” Jingyi beams, leaning forward. “I realised that I’ve never met your parents, Lan Yuan!”

Lan Yuan freezes, then his face wilts like a flower at nightfall.

Jingyi feels his heart plunge into his stomach. This was not at all the reaction he was expecting.

“I…” Lan Yuan doesn’t look at him. “I don’t have parents, Jingyi.”

Jingyi can’t help it. His jaw drops to the ground.

“But… you’re here.” He blurts. He _does not_ know how babies are made, but they definitely just don’t spring out of nowhere. “You know, you exist. You must have parents somewhere.”

Lan Yuan tells Jingyi that he doesn’t have parents and Jingyi replies that he must have parents somewhere. _Good job, Lan Jingyi._

Lan Yuan shakes his head. There’s a sad smile on his face as he continues. “Hanguang-jun found me and took me in when I was little. I’m not from the Cloud Recesses. I’m not even really a Lan. But don’t take it wrong, I’m really grateful for what Hanguang-jun did! Who knows where I’ll be now if it weren’t for him…”

He’s close to tears now, his eyes rimmed with red. In the years they’ve been friends, Jingyi has never seen Lan Yuan cry. He panics.

“I’ll be them.” Jingyi says quickly.

Lan Yuan blinks.

“Your parents. I’ll be your mother and father! And if anyone says you’re not a Lan, I’ll beat them up! Because I’m a Lan and if you’re my child, that makes you a Lan too!”

“Jingyi, you’re younger than me. How can you be my parents?” Lan Yuan asks, finally meeting his gaze.

“Ah…” He hadn’t thought of that. Obviously.

Now Lan Yuan is laughing. Jingyi likes that. A sad face doesn’t suit Lan Yuan at all.

“So… who do you eat with in the evenings?” In the Cloud Recesses, breakfast was taken with the entire sect in the grand dining hall. Lunch depended on your activities for the day. But dinners were reserved for families, so as to remember and appreciate your kin.

“Hanguang-jun eats with me when he can.”

Jingyi doesn’t miss what Lan Yuan doesn’t say. “Why don’t you eat with us today? I’m sure Father and Mother would like to get to know you better after this morning too!”

“I couldn’t—”

“—Ah! We need to go. I don’t want to break another rule and get yelled at again. Come on!”

Jingyi takes Lan Yuan’s hand and drags him back to his family’s residence before he can be denied. The smile on his friend’s face that evening is the brightest one he’s seen yet.  
  


* * *

  
Lan Qiren had promised a special lesson today and he did not disappoint.

The cultivators who went on a night-hunt yesterday captured several fierce corpses for the disciples-in-training to fight during their lessons. Never mind that there were at least a dozen talismans on each fierce corpse to restrain the full force of their power, the disciples were practically beside themselves with excitement. A chance to face a real fierce corpse! It was a first for most, if not all of them.

Lan Yuan gives Jingyi a weary smile as the latter hops around and runs his mouth off about how he's absolutely going to ace this lesson.

The class gets a second surprise when Hanguang-jun walks in beside their teacher. His gaze, regal and cold, sweeps over the class, lingering a touch longer on Lan Yuan before moving on. Lan Qiren briefly introduces his nephew, who will be helping him oversee the students today, before going over how the lesson will proceed. But all of the starry-eyed pupils are too busy gawking at the younger Twin Jade of Lan to listen to him. Even Lan Yuan, who eats dinner with the man every other day, is not-so-sneakily admiring him with wide eyes.

Jingyi doesn't hear any of the instructions Lan Qiren gives until he hears the words 'pair up'. At that, several students glance over in their direction. It would definitely be to anyone's advantage to partner with either of the two best cultivators in their class. Except of course—

"Let's do our best, Lan Yuan!" Jingyi declares obliviously, grabbing his friend's hand and tugging the other boy to face him.

Lan Yuan blinks at him, before the corners of his lips pull up. "Yes!"

(Disappointed, the other students turn back to each other and pair off.)

The student-pairs are told to line up. Despite hurrying, Jingyi and Lan Yuan find themselves toward the back of the line. The class is never this eager to volunteer for anything, but fighting a fierce corpse has changed something in even the most apathetic of the aspiring cultivators.

The first pair enters the fighting area, which is actually just a circle etched into the sand. There's a guqin set at the edge of the circle and one of the disciples takes a seat behind it. The other picks up a sword placed on a rack just outside the circle. Since none of them have a sword yet, they would all be using a sword Lan Qiren acquired from the Cloud Recesses' armory earlier.

"We're not both fighting together?" Jingyi asks Lan Yuan.

“No, weren’t you… right, of course you weren’t listening. We'll take turns." Lan Yuan explains as the first disciple begins to play. A wobbly, slightly off-tune melody floats through the air. "One of us will play the _guqin_ to suppress the fierce corpse, while the other takes it down. Then we'll switch. Which role would you like to take first?"

Jingyi glances between the disciple currently struggling with the piece of music and the other one fighting the fierce corpse. It isn't even a question.

"I'll go with the sword first. Lan Yuan, you're better than me at the _guqin_ anyway. Why don't you play it first, so that I can follow your example?"

"Sure."

One by one, the disciple pairs enter the arena and face the fierce corpses. Most of them manage to defeat the fierce corpse with some level of difficulty. A few of the weaker students panic and mess up, but Lan Qiren is there to save them as soon as the moment they lose control of the situation.

Lan Wangji's previously disinterested gaze seems to light up when Lan Yuan and Jingyi enter the arena. Lan Yuan settles behind the guqin, making sure to arrange his robes so that they spill gracefully over the ground like freshly fallen snow. His actions earn a nod from both teacher and assistant.

Jingyi jogs over to the sword rack, where the previous disciple has placed the sword on. He glances at the words engraved in gold on the end of the hilt.  
  
'桃源'

He picks Taoyuan up and although he doesn't know the first thing about swords, he can tell this is a good one. There's something about its balanced weight that just seems right. When he unsheathes it, a ' _shing_ ' rings out, true and clear.

Jingyi takes up his place in front of Lan Yuan, then nods at his teacher. Lan Qiren selects a fierce corpse from where they are all climbing around in a wooden cage, then drags it into the arena. He exits immediately and raises his hand.

He drops his hand. At the signal, Lan Yuan begins to play, his fingers coaxing out a lovely melody from the strings. It brings to Jingyi's mind the image of a field of summer grasses bowing in the breeze, of water running through a crystal-blue stream, of Lan Yuan himself, of his ever-gentle smile and warm brown eyes.

It seems that Jingyi isn't the only one affected by Lan Yuan's music. The fierce corpse is sluggish as it totters toward him. Jingyi tightens his grip on Taoyuan, letting the feel of the hilt ground him, prevent him from drifting off with his friend's melody again. He puts a foot forward and swings the sword in a gleaming arc.

Several students had failed to conjure a sword glare and had to resort to melee attacks, but Jingyi isn't one of them. A shining blue curve leaps from the path of his sword, sailing through the air before crashing into the fierce corpse. It dissipates in a burst of smoke and sparks.

The fierce corpse's reaction is immediate. Angered, it raises its arms and lunges at Jingyi. Jingyi rolls out of the way and swings again, unleashing another sword glare. Behind him, Lan Yuan's playing takes a more serious turn. The notes sound out harder and faster, making the air itself tremble with control.

The corpse struggles against Lan Yuan's music, pressing its stiff arms to its head as if it could drown it out. When it realises that there's only one way to stop the ear-splitting noise, it jumps at Jingyi again. But Jingyi has been prepared for this moment.

His sword arcs out, and the fierce corpse loses its head.

The two parts of the ruined body crumble to ash. Jingyi sheathes Taoyuan on the same note that Lan Yuan's song ends.

The courtyard is silent for a long while, then their classmates break into applause.

"Well done." Lan Qiren says. Hanguang-jun nods. "I expected no less from the both of you."

Jingyi and Lan Yuan beam at each other as they exchange weapons and places.

They wait for Lan Qiren to bring out another corpse, but the old man is stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Since it's the two of you... hmm... Wangji, what do you think?"

Uncle and nephew exchange a look.

"Wangji believes there will be no problem."

"Very well." Lan Qiren brings out a corpse. Before he leads it into the arena, he stops in front of Hanguang-jun. The younger Twin Jade of Lan raises his arm. A few of the talismans detach from the fierce corpse, burning up in the air. When he lowers his hand, only five talismans remain on the corpse.

The disciples gasp. Jingyi and Lan Yuan look at each other.

"Since Lan Yuan and Lan Jingyi have displayed an exemplary performance, we will have them fight the fierce corpse at almost full strength." Lan Qiren shoots them a look. "Alert us immediately if you need assistance."

"Yes!"

As Lan Qiren leaves the arena, Jingyi and Lan Yuan exchange another grin. Jingyi is practically bursting from excitement as his fingers find their places on the strings of the guqin.

Compared to the sword, his mastery of the instrument is... not as desirable. He's not Lan Yuan, who can sit still for hours on end playing the same song over and over again till perfection. He's a growing child- he needs sunshine and fresh air! But with all that said, it's not that Jingyi is bad at the _guqin_. It's just not one of his strong suits.

Right now, he's deliberating between two songs. One was a fairly simple piece that he'd been practising since last year, the other was the one Lan Yuan played earlier. The second one they'd only learnt a few weeks ago, and Jingyi can't say he's completely grasped hold of it just yet.

If they were fighting a more restrained fierce corpse, the first piece should have sufficed. But Jingyi looks at the five talismans attached on the fierce corpse again and finds his fingers shifting to the starting position for the new song.

It's okay. He's Lan Jingyi. If anyone can get it right, it's him.

Lan Yuan was watching him the whole time he was hesitating. When he looks up, the other boy gives him a nod and mouths the words 'you can do it'. Warmth blooms in his chest as Lan Yuan turns away. Jingyi smiles. He doesn't know what he's done to earn Lan Yuan's complete trust, only that it's something that's also reciprocated on his end.

Lan Qiren, seeing that his students are ready, drops his arm.

The whispers from the surrounding students die down as Jingyi's song flows out. It's a little shaky, not as up to speed as Lan Yuan's playing, but it's good enough. The fierce corpse takes all of one step towards Lan Yuan, then its movements are slowed to a shuffle.

Lan Yuan doesn't hesitate. He darts out, sleeves fluttering like the wings of a soaring crane, Taoyuan raised in his arms. Stopping with one foot forward, he swings his arm and sends a brilliant blue light arcing toward the fierce corpse. The sword glare lands true, pushing the fierce corpse back a few steps.

It stares at the ground for a few moments, before tilting its head back and letting out a roar that seems to shake the very ground itself. Lan Yuan throws up his arms, shielding his face from the blast of resentful energy. Jingyi doesn't even dare to flinch; his fingers dance over the strings, playing faster and faster.

Lan Yuan becomes a blur of white robes and blue light as he fights, twisting and ducking away from the fierce's corpse's attacks while throwing out a few of his own. Not all of his sword glares hit, but the few that do count. The Cloud Recesses falls away around them, until its only Jingyi and Lan Yuan and the fierce corpse in their tiny circle of a world.

Then Jingyi's finger slips and he plucks the wrong note. He makes the wrong decision and backtracks to correct the mistake. He really should have moved on, because the tiny dissonance allows the fierce corpse a few seconds of unsuppressed power and it lashes out at Lan Yuan, who barely ducks in time.

"I'm fine!" The other boy calls out, and Jingyi's gaze snaps back to his instrument. But he's already lost his flow, lost the rhythm and mistakes spring from the strings like there's no tomorrow. Panic builds in his chest, stacking like stones in a cairn.

Lan Yuan cries out. The fierce corpse has struck him down. It looms over him, teeth and nails bared-

The _guqin_ crashes to the ground as Jingyi leaps to his feet. "Lan Yuan!"

But before he can get to his friend, a note rings out in the yard. It takes all the other sounds with it, shrouding the world in silence. A pulse of spiritual energy gathers at the feet of the corpse and surges up its body, freezing it in place.

Lan Yuan looks up, eyes wide with terror. The fierce corpse's mouth hangs over him, saliva dripping onto his nose. Then a flash of blue light severs its head from its body. The head drops into Lan Yuan's lap.

Lan Yuan scrambles backwards, shoving the head away with a small scream.

Jingyi starts to run, but someone else is already there.

"Lan Yuan. Are you alright?”

"Hanguang-jun!"

The younger Jade helps Lan Yuan up, checking him over for injuries. Thankfully, other than a gash on the forehead and a few scratches on his palm, the boy is otherwise fine. Lan Yuan turns visibly red at being fussed over by his guardian.

Jingyi stands at the side and doesn’t dare speak.  
  


* * *

  
Jingyi visits Lan Yuan in his room that night. When he peeks in, both Zewu-jun and Hanguang-jun are inside, having dinner with Lan Yuan. He immediately tries to sneak away, but of course there’s no escaping the notice of not just one but both of the Twin Jades of Lan. Hanguang-jun practically slams the door open, Bichen in his hand. Jingyi yelps and falls back on his butt, dropping the small basket of fruit in his hands.

“Why are you here?” Lan Wangji asks.

“Now now, Wangji, you’re scaring him.” Lan Xichen says, placing a hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. He smiles down at Jingyi as the boy picks himself up. “Are you here to see Lan Yuan?”

“Y-yes. But it’s fine! I’ll come back later. Or tomorrow. Enjoy your dinner, Zewu-jun and Hanguang-jun. And Lan Yuan too!” He shouts into the room. Before remembering that shouting is prohibited in the Cloud Recesses. And that he just shouted in front of Hanguang-jun.

The basket of fruit falls out of his hands again.

Jingyi wonders if dropping to his knees and begging will save him. It probably won’t. He wonders if he should try anyway.

Lan Xichen coughs. Lan Wangji just closes his eyes.

“Just once.” The younger Jade of Lan says finally. Then he turns and leaves.

Jingyi has to pick his jaw up from the floor. And the fruits. The poor fruits. They’ve probably become juice by now.

“Don’t worry. Wangji is actually a huge softie inside.” Lan Xichen tells him. Jingyi will never believe that in a million years, but he’s not nearly stupid enough to say it out loud. There’s only so many times his heart can take a close shave with death. “We were just done with our dinner anyway. Go on in, Lan Yuan has been waiting for you.”

And so, one ordeal later, he’s finally sitting in front of his friend with a basket of smushed fruit.

“I’m sorry. About these.” Jingyi says as he hands the basket over. “My mother said I should bring a gift when visiting someone and assembled this for me, but I’ve kind of ruined them.”

Lan Yuan laughs, picking an orange out of the basket. “They’re still fine. Would you like to share this with me?”

“Sure!” He answers immediately, too quickly. Lan Yuan blinks, but doesn’t comment on it.

They are silent as Lan Yuan peels the orange, then splits the wedges in half.

“I’m sorry.” Jingyi finally blurts out as Lan Yuan hands his half of the orange to him.

“What?”

“About earlier. You got hurt because I messed up on the _guqin_. I shouldn’t have tried to play the new song when I wasn’t familiar with it. I shouldn’t have—“

“—Jingyi.” Lan Yuan interrupts. “You tried your best. And I’m perfectly fine. A few scratches won’t kill me.”

“You wouldn’t have been scratched at all if it weren’t for me.”

“We all make mistakes. You just have to do better next time.”

“But—“

He is cut off as Lan Yuan stuffs a wedge of orange into his mouth. The boy grins, actually grins, as he pops one into his own mouth.

“These are really sweet. You must thank your mother for me.”

“Come thank her yourself. My parents scolded me when I told them what happened during the lesson, you know. They asked why you haven’t been coming over for dinner.”

“Ah, my apologies. Tomorrow, then?”

Jingyi beams.

“Tomorrow.”

**Author's Note:**

> 桃源/Taoyuan - Comes from a Chinese idiom meaning paradise, 世外桃源, which can be directly translated as ‘an otherwordly peach garden’. 
> 
> I was whenever-I-started-writing-this years old when I realised Jingyi is probably his courtesy name and we don’t actually know this child’s birth name. Which is not fair #justiceforjingyi2k19 (in advance) 
> 
> Also just thought you should know that the name of the draft document was preciouskidduotoopuretoogoodforthisworld.docx and I was honestly tempted to leave it as such. Still am. Stop me. 
> 
> On a less joking note, these two (and Jin Ling) are my children. One of the things I'm most grateful for in MDZS is that they never had to go through what the previous generation did at the same age. They deserve to be pure and happy forever.


End file.
